Thane protests over the murder of Shiv Sena (UBT) Manpada division chief Pradeep Purnekar escalated into a confrontation with police early Wednesday, leaving three police personnel injured and disrupting traffic on Ghodbunder Road for nearly seven hours. Police have registered cases against more than 250 protesters and denied permission for rival demonstrations planned by the two Shiv Sena factions on Thursday.
The unrest followed midnight road blockades at Naupada, Manpada and the Balkum–Bhiwandi stretch, where protesters were demanding progress in the investigation into Purnekar’s murder and the arrest of former Thane mayor Meenakshi Shinde and her husband, Rajendra. The couple’s alleged involvement has not been established, and police have said further action will depend on evidence and corroboration of technical findings.
At Manpada, protesters allegedly refused to clear the road despite repeated appeals from police. Thane police commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre appealed for calm and the restoration of traffic movement, but police resorted to a lathi charge at about 3am to disperse the crowd, according to the report. Protesters allegedly responded by pelting stones and throwing glass bottles at the police. An assistant police inspector from Chitalsar police station and a woman officer from Kapurbawdi police station were among those injured. Some protesters were also reportedly hurt.
The blockade brought traffic on the busy Ghodbunder Road corridor to a standstill, with congestion spreading to connecting arterial roads. Thousands of commuters were stranded for hours, while some reportedly abandoned their vehicles and walked several kilometres. Concerns were also raised about the movement of emergency services. Traffic gradually returned to normal after the protesters dispersed in the early hours of Wednesday.
The agitation began after Purnekar’s son, Ram, was detained at Naupada police station while attempting to march towards Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s residence to demand action. Family members, supporters and opposition leaders then gathered outside the police station and blocked the road while seeking his release. The protests later spread to Manpada, the Manorama Nagar–Azad Nagar area and the Balkum–Bhiwandi route.
The family’s dissatisfaction intensified after a meeting with the Special Investigation Team on Wednesday at the Anti-Extortion Cell office. The meeting lasted about one-and-a-half hours. Family members and Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders later alleged that police had not provided satisfactory answers about evidence submitted in the case. These allegations have not been independently established.
Police have formed an SIT with 23 team members to collect CCTV footage, examine technical evidence and corroborate leads. Investigators have recorded statements from Ram and Jaynath Purnekar and are matching CCTV footage with other material to reconstruct the sequence of events. Police have also seized weapons and vehicles from accused persons, coordinated with the Special Task Force and sought airport-related information to prevent suspects from fleeing.
The family has displayed CCTV footage and photographs that it claims show Rajendra with three accused at a tea stall before the September 29 murder. Police have questioned Meenakshi Shinde for more than seven hours and have previously questioned Rajendra, according to media reports. The motive and the alleged extent of any conspiracy remain under investigation.
Police have imposed prohibitory orders and appealed to protesters not to take the law into their own hands or inconvenience the public. Both the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena were denied permission for Thursday gatherings, although opposition leaders were expected to visit the Purnekar family.
